The Loening Aeronautical Engineering Corporation was founded in 1917 by Grover Loening and produced early aircraft and amphibious aircraft. After it merged with Keystone Aircraft Corporation in 1928, some of its engineers left to form Grumman and Grover Loening went on to form a new enterprise, Grover Loening Aircraft Company.
History
In 1917, Grover Loening incorporated the Loening Aeronautical Engineering Company in New York City. The company was originally located in Long Island City, Queens. In 1921, the firm leased a vacant lot at 420-428 East 31st Street in the Kips Bay neighborhood of Manhattan, located on the block between First Avenue and the East River, and built a new factory on the site. The company built a floating ramp for amphibian planes alongside the pier at the end of 31st Street—which it leased from the city—that enabled aircraft to taxi in and out of the water. Before this, aircraft from the factory were brought out to the pier and had to be hoisted into the East River using a crane.
thumb|left|alt=Logo for the Keystone Loening Aircraft Corporation|Logo used in 1929 advertisement following the merger
In 1928, Loening merged with Keystone Aircraft Corporation and functioned independently as the Loening Aeronautical Division. The following year, the unit became the Keystone-Loening Division of Curtiss-Wright. In 1929, Grover Loening went on to establish a new firm on Long Island, the Grover Loening Aircraft Company in Garden City, which operated until 1936.